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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

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Theses/Dissertations

2007

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Enabling Potential Of Losses In Later Life: Linking Constraints To Selective Optimization With Compensation, Begum Aybar-Damali Dec 2007

The Enabling Potential Of Losses In Later Life: Linking Constraints To Selective Optimization With Compensation, Begum Aybar-Damali

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A substantial literature describes factors that prevent people from participating in and enjoying leisure and recreation activities. These factors have often been regarded as negative and helping individuals use strategies to maintain participation has been advised. The primary purpose of this study was to explore whether losses catalyzed selective optimization of resources. This exploratory research investigated the relationship among (1) life satisfaction, (2) change in leisure behavior, (3) life management strategies of selection, optimization, and compensation, (4) enhancement outcomes, and (5) leisure satisfaction. The participants of the study were recruited from older adults who attended activities and classes provided by …


Toward A Model Of Intention To Perform Partnership Behaviors: An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Melissa Weddell Aug 2007

Toward A Model Of Intention To Perform Partnership Behaviors: An Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Melissa Weddell

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The partnership phenomenon has received considerable attention as an alternative management strategy for public agencies. The current political culture of fiscal constraint and 'doing more with less' has caused a groundswell of interest in collaborative, partnering, and resource sharing arrangements (Selin & Myers, 1995). Partnership offers a process to increase involvement through democratic means and provide a viable approach for expanding the range of services offered, enhancing the opportunities of park visitors, and building a sense of community pride (Vaske, Donnelly, & LaPage, 1995). Partnerships between public agencies and corporations are rapidly becoming an accepted mechanism to generate additional park …


Visitors' Delayed Responses To Interpretive Talks And Interpreters' Expectations For Visitor Responses, Lisa Machnik May 2007

Visitors' Delayed Responses To Interpretive Talks And Interpreters' Expectations For Visitor Responses, Lisa Machnik

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National Park visitors' delayed responses to interpretive talks are examined and compared to professional interpreters' expectations for visitor responses to interpretive talks. The premise is that through an understanding of visitors' delayed responses, interpretive programs can be refined to further the goals of visitor learning and appreciation as well as the development of a sense of stewardship. Informal learning theory, schema theory, and constructivist learning theory provide a conceptual and theoretical framework for the research.
Visitors to nine U.S. National Parks participated in a computer-assisted telephone survey/interview eight months after attending an on-site interpretive talk (n=283, response rate 86%). Questions …


Meaningful Learning At A National Historic Site: How Interpretive Tour Message Content Affects Visitor Learning Transfer, Christine Van Winkle May 2007

Meaningful Learning At A National Historic Site: How Interpretive Tour Message Content Affects Visitor Learning Transfer, Christine Van Winkle

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This study examines meaningful learning transfer at a historic site. Transfer is the ability to apply knowledge to a new situation or setting and can be divided into near and far transfer. Near transfer is characterized by the ability to transfer knowledge to a similar situation, whereas far transfer is the ability to transfer knowledge to a different situation. This between-subject post-test only field experiment investigated the effect of interpretive message design on visitors' ability to transfer leaning from an interpretive audio tour at a heritage site. Interpretive messages were designed to examine the effect of message organizers (i.e. presence …